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AAMA Asks Congress to Extend Energy Star Tax Credit

The American Architectural Manufacturers Association is asking the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to support proposals that would extend and expand the 25C tax credits for energy-efficient home improvements.

The proposal package would extend the 25C tax credit until 2010, and extend the provisions to provide homeowners with up to 30 percent of the costs for qualified energy-efficient home improvements, with a cap of $1,500 per home. Homeowners are currently capped at 10 percent of applicable costs, with an annual cap of $500.

"As the costs for energy-efficient home improvements can easily exceed $10,000, the current credit is not meaningful in changing consumer behavior,” says Rich Walker, AAMA president and CEO. “Driving demand for these products can play an important role in protecting the environment and saving our energy resources."

"In the short term, investments in the efficiency of existing homes will create and retain U.S. manufacturing, distribution and construction jobs,” Walker adds. “In the long term, it will help reduce carbon emissions, while reducing our aggregate demand for energy, our dependence on foreign sources of oil and the energy bills of hard-working Americans.”

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, if all consumers bought Energy Star qualified products, Americans would save more than $100 billion in energy costs during the next 15 years. "These proposals will build consumer demand for energy-saving technology, create thousands of jobs, save precious energy resources and reduce consumer energy bills," Walker adds. "Quite simply, expanding these consumer tax credits is good for the economy and good for the environment."